Taekjoo stepped off the helicopter and immediately recognized the headquarters of the National Intelligence Service. The employee who had been waiting for Taekjoo by the helipad escorted him to the 1st Deputy Director’s Office. Taekjoo said nothing and simply followed, though questions swirled in his mind. The one who wanted to see him was Lim, the deputy director of a bureau, and yet he was being brought to the office of a senior NIS deputy director?
The NIS has three deputy directors, each with distinct responsibilities under the director. The deputy directors do not encroach on each other’s responsibilities or areas of authority. And the unwritten rule was that tens of smaller bureaus and departments reporting to each deputy director operate within the lanes of their respective heads. Agent Kwon Taekjoo, an intelligence officer, and Deputy Director Lim of the Bureau of Intelligence Activities and Counterintelligence reported to the 3rd Deputy Director of the NIS, who was responsible for the duties and tasks of the bureau. In short, both Kwon and Lim had no business being in the office of the 1st Deputy Director.
Did something happen? Taekjoo asked himself repeatedly. The employee who had been leading the way knocked on the door of the office. Soon, a voice came from the other side of the door, granting them permission to enter. The voice did not belong to Lim. The employee opened the door for Taekjoo and sent him in.
Caught off guard, Taekjoo momentarily forgot to greet the 1st Deputy Director. It was only right, only natural, that the 1st Deputy Director was in his own office. Yet, Taekjoo was taken aback to see the man here, which he found ironic. Lim, a bureau deputy director and the one who summoned Taekjoo to come, was seated next to the owner of the office. Taekjoo looked at Lim, searching for an explanation. But the man only put on a curious smile.
Taekjoo sensed something. The atmosphere just wasn’t right. He moved his eyes silently, carefully watching the faces of his superiors. The 1st Deputy Director had a warm expression, almost as if to reassure Taekjoo.
“I’ve been told that you just completed a mission in Busan,” said the 1st Deputy Director.
“Yes, sir. I did the best I could.”
Taekjoo defended himself as soon as the deputy director finished speaking. Yes, the mission had some noise, and it wasn’t executed in the perfect way. However, for the 1st Deputy Director to reprimand Taekjoo would be overstepping his authority. Watching the young agent defending himself, the two senior agents smiled in an uncanny way, which was no pleasant experience for Taekjoo.
“That’s not why you’re here. No need to get defensive. True, the commotion was more than necessary in executing the mission. However, it’s a small price to pay in exchange for protecting state-classified intelligence. Wouldn’t you agree, Lim?”
His subtle mockery showed his years of experience in the organization. Taekjoo didn’t let his guard down. Instead, he stared at Deputy Director Lim. With a smile on his face, Lim simply nodded in agreement with the 1st Deputy Director. It only worsened Taekjoo’s confusion. If the reason was not the commotion he had caused in Busan, then what could possibly be the reason he was called upon this late at night? Taekjoo racked his brain but couldn’t come up with any ideas.
Lim didn’t keep Taekjoo waiting any longer. He slid a tablet across the desk.
“What is it, sir?”
“Just take a look.”
Taekjoo shrugged and took the device. He flipped the first page with a look of boredom on his face. His eyes lacked enthusiasm at first as he skimmed through the text. Then, they gradually sped up. Taekjoo scrolled down. He read silently but intensely. He moved onto the next page in a hurry. Lim, who had been watching the scene, spoke.
“The most recently acquired intelligence. The rumor’s been around for years, but this is the first time ever that we’re presented with concrete evidence that could potentially lead to further investigation. As you’ve just seen, the main point of that report is that North Korea and Russia have been developing a new weapon for three years. It says that the said weapon boasts firepower that no other country has ever possessed. It’s suggested that once the weapon is completed, it’s gonna shift the global hegemony. Also known as Anastasia. It could be the name of the weapon. It could be the clandestine treaty between North Korea and Russia regarding their cooperation in making the weapon. It could also refer to the weapon blueprint, or maybe the weapon engineer. We don’t know yet, nor do we know whether the weapon has been completed.”
Taekjoo grasped what this little association between Lim and the 1st Deputy Director meant. Indeed, if North Korea and Russia had joined forces to make an unprecedented killing machine, then who would be in the biggest trouble? South Korea and the US. It was a no-brainer.
“We must know what the weapon is. Lack of intelligence resources creates a power imbalance. Assuming that Anastasia hasn’t been completed, and assuming that it’s possible, then we must stop its emergence into the world, shouldn’t we?”
“We have to do everything for world peace. Nothing could stop us. If it’s in service of the greater good, a minor misdeed like petty theft is hardly a grave offense.”
In short, they wanted Taekjoo to go and find out the weapon that Russia and North Korea made in cooperation. And, if need be, steal the blueprint of the weapon or other relevant information. If the mission should fail, then the next task was to destroy the said secret weapon so that it would never see the light of day. And who would be tasked with this mission? None other than Kwon Taekjoo.
Since joining the NIS, Taekjoo had spent more time on overseas missions than in Korea. So it didn’t surprise him that his mission was set in a foreign country. However, it did bother Taekjoo that the foreign country in question was Russia. It was a country he had never been before, whether for business or for leisure.
Of course, Taekjoo was more than qualified for the mission. Right after he had started working at the NIS, he’d taken Chinese, Persian, and Russian courses as part of his training. He would not have any difficulty in surviving even if he found himself alone in Moscow right at this moment.
But that was it—he spoke the language fluently, nothing more. He didn’t have the most important asset, which was the hands-on experience of actually living in the country, of directly observing the locals. And to an agent, nothing is more important than field experience. This mission was practically sending Taekjoo on a mission in the middle of a battleground unarmed. On top of that, he couldn’t understand why he was assigned to this particular mission in the first place.
Taekjoo stared at Lim, his eyes full of discontentment. Lim nodded as if he understood everything that was going on in Taekjoo’s mind.
“Strictly speaking, you are not the ideal candidate for this mission.”
“Then you should look for one.”
“We have. And we’ve sent him on the mission.”
“Then why am I here?”
There was no response.
Lim scratched his eyebrow, while the 1st Deputy Director forced an awkward smile. Taekjoo easily figured out what they weren’t saying.
“I guess the mission didn’t go well.”
Lim nodded, then laid three pictures on the desk. The first picture showed a pair of hands—their fingers, all ten of them, had been cut at the tip. The sliced flesh was all drained of blood, bloated from being in water for too long.
In the second photo, a body was draped with a white cover. The forehead of the cadaver was visible. And right in the middle of the forehead, a mysterious mark was engraved. Taekjoo soon figured out that it was a tattoo. Judging from the state of the body, he could tell that the tattoo was fresh.
The last one was a perfectly fine ID photo. Taekjoo surmised that it was the picture of the body’s owner when he was alive and whole. Taekjoo knew who it was.
“Dominic Morgan. The US special agent in Russia. His body was found by the Nara[2] four days ago. He was the exclusive solo agent sent on the mission to find out what Anastasia was. Morgan was a talented agent, particularly excelled in Russian intelligence. It’s quite unfortunate. The Russian government identified him as John Doe—which is understandable, given how Morgan used a fake identity to enter the country. Whether the Russians truly believe he really is a John Doe is an entirely different question, though.”
“So, what? Are we taking the hit just because Russia’s wary of the US?”
“You’re quick to catch up, aren’t you, Agent Kwon? But let’s not put it in such a blunt way, shall we? In any case, North Korea is also involved, so we’re a stakeholder as well. We can’t simply sit back and watch the show. So, I heard you’ve known Agent Morgan since the US-ROK joint exercise.”
“Not since. Just for the training. Barely a month. We were roommates.”
Taekjoo was careful to be clear and transparent. Lim grinned. He was aware of what Taekjoo was trying to do. Taekjoo had his guard up, and Lim was seasoned enough to tear down those walls.
“Precisely why we chose you. Personal ties only cloud judgment.”